“Spiders” is such a great name that I don’t know why Cleveland doesn’t (re-)adopt it and get rid of the embarrassing Chief Wahoo once and for all. Let the ballpark be unofficially known as “the Web.” Work out some kind of marketing deal with Marvel for alternate jerseys based on Spider-Man’s costumes (both the red-blue classic gear and the black Venom gear). Have Anderson Silva throw out the first pitch before a game.

Perhaps because the name is terrible? Perhaps because it is associated with the worst team in the history of baseball? I’m all for getting rid of Wahoo. I don’t think the name *has* to go*, but if it does, basically any realistic suggestion would be better than Spiders.

I say this as a long-suffering Indians fan who will loyally stay with my team through decades of no World Series titles and trading our best players. But not this. I am officially a free agent if the Indians ever change their name to Spiders. Fortunately, I think the chances of this actually happening are quite remote, even if they did change their name.

One thing that irritates me to no end is that it seems like a lot of the Spiders advocates (obviously, Joe is an exception, and this abomination was designed by someone who runs a Cleveland sports blog, but someone like Keith Law comes to mind) are not actually Indians fans. I think any current Indians fan who likes the name Spiders is misguided, but I’ll at least hear him or her out. I have no interest in what, say, a Dodgers or Red Sox fan thinks.

*I really don’t see much difference between Indians and Chiefs or Braves (Redskins is another story). I think that as long as it’s done responsibly (dumping/apologizing for Wahoo, building a statue of Louis Sockalexis outside the stadium, educating the populace, making a hefty donation to a Native American organization, etc.), the name can stay.

Not a thing to agree with here – Spiders is a fine name (though there may be better), less than 1-in-20 in the stands knows about the ’99 Spiders, the only thing keeping Braves from being the most offensive name in Sports is DC’s football team, and the reason to ignore Dodger & Red Sox fans is not their lack of Indian fandom, but the very fact that they are Dodger & Red Sox fans.

“May be better.” Yes, and there may have been better teams in 1899 than the Spiders. Speaking of which, the percentage of people who are aware of that debacle is irrelevant. It’s still the worst team in the history of baseball. Why would anyone want to be associated with such a disaster?

And I see the “clever” thing you did there with Red Sox/Dodgers fans, but I was just using them as a couple of examples of my overall point, which is that if the Indians change their name, fine. But I’m not interested in the opinions of non-Indians fans on what the new name should be. If other people like Spiders so much, they can lobby the owners of their teams for it.

So by your reasoning, John, in 1975, after 60 years of almost solid debacle, the Phillies had the worst name in baseball.

The percentage of people who are aware is wholly relevant. “Why would anyone want to be associated with such a disaster?” Things (especially when one is abstract – such as a name) are not associated. People associate them.

Also, I would see your point if we were talking, in the ’99 Spiders, about anything of consequence. If you were protesting a club called the Galveston Hurricanes, okay. But calling the ’99 Spiders a “disaster” is a metaphor.

This isn’t really fair. Every fan in baseball has to hear, see, and potentially play against the Indians. Of course they’re allowed to have an opinion on it. The Cleveland baseball franchise doesn’t play in a vacuum.

FYI, there is no similar discourse on the Atlanta Braves, though you won’t see Indian mascots or caricatures, which I think is at the root of most concerns. Yes, I know, they do the tomahawk chop. Nothing would please me more than to never have to listen to that ever again.

I am a born A’s fan, and a Twins fan because I have 3 sons who have been born here in the land of 10000 days of winter. Also, I don’t wear advertising, period.
Having said all that, Sam’s design is so good that I might have to bite if it ever becomes available. Go Spiders!

I’d maybe add a couple eyes, maybe even cartoony-ish eyes. And maybe a small cap on the head. But overall, I like the feel of it.

OFF TOPIC: The Baseball Project (Steve Wynn, Scott McCaughey, Mike Mills, Peter Buck, Lynda Pitmon) just released their third album, “3rd”. The Baseball Project writes songs about baseball. Just starting to absorb these new songs. Joe, think you may like to give it a spin. Among the new tunes, Mike Mills sings a song called “To The Veteran’s Committee” where he belts out “I wanna see Dale Murphy in the Hall of Fame”. Songs about the Babe, Cy Young, Larry Yount, box scores, the Oakland A’s, and many others. Really cool stuff.

Not sure of my standing here according to John Gale’s criteria — I’m an NL guy, but I grew up in Ohio, my brother is an Indians fan, and they’re my favorite AL team in so far as I have one. That said, I’ve long been an advocate of reviving the Spiders name. If they became the Spiders and used that logo I’d be more of a fan, and I’d totally buy that hat.

I’ll never forget the first time I read “Have you ever noticed that the glove in the 80’s Milwaukee Brewer’s logo contains an m and b?”. It seems like I was the only person on the planet that thought the m and b were obvious and had never noticed they formed a glove. (the baseball was clear enough however)

Honestly, when I first glanced at the logo I was reminded of a tick, not a spider. Maybe that’s why I don’t really get the appeal it has to some other people on here – seems to me more like a local pest control company logo than a major league ball club’s.

So, people keep referring to the 1899 Spiders team that had the worst record in team history(20-134), because of a terrible owner who shifted all of the teams stars (including Cy Young) over to his new team the St. Louis Perfectos. Everyone fails to mention that the Spiders also won a Championship in 1895 and were pretty good all of the other years other than the year the team was gutted… If you ask me, this team fits right in here in Cleveland… Go Spiders… The logo could be better though.